Love, Sex, and Happily Ever After

I will read anything by Craig. ANYTHING!

When I lived in Stillwater, OK I attended Lifechurch. It saved me in so many ways. I remember how we would meet every Sunday in the middle school auditorium. It seemed so small, so quaint. In time, membership grew and we needed our own building. It was HUGE. Sadly, I went through my divorce shortly after and did not get to enjoy that new building for long. When I moved to MI I watched Craig online through the Lifechurch.tv website. Every Sunday I was able to bring a piece of Stillwater into my home here in MI.

In the past I have reviewed Chazown even though it is not the only book by him I have read.

When I saw this one was up for review, I decided it was worth the read even though I was already married. I am glad I did. There was so much stuff in there that is so relevant to me and my marriage. Especially the part about communication. Craig also talks a lot about The ONE (who is Jesus) your TWO (who is your spouse) and then yourself. He is a believer that life should be lived like that and children should come after. With 6 kids, I know he knows what he is talking about.

I still watch Lifechurch when time permits, but my own church New Covenant has many of the same values as Craig. Even better, my Pastor has met him and shares some of his work. Bonus for me! I have even found a few members that also watch LC online.

I feel the book is a good read for anyone, believer or not, who would like a better grasp on how relationships should be, not just before marriage, but for the entire life of the relationship.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from as part of a bloggers book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

As a pastor who regularly provides premarital counseling as well as marital counseling this book is a great resource. Craig, as always, provides great insight while keeping the reader interested thru personal life experiences. I recommend this book for any pastor who is looking to help couples as they enter into a marriage covenant.

Craig Groeschel is a compelling and gifted writer. In Love, Sex, and Happily Ever After: Preparing for a Marriage That Goes the Distance he provides a basic guide for how to prepare for marriage. True to his pastoral nature he covers the issues from a Biblical perspective. I appreciate that he doesn't dodge the hard questions but addresses the real threats and issues that can destroy a marriage before it starts. He writes with a funny though somewhat corny sense of humor. However, corny works for him.

The book is valuable as a basic guide for how to prepare for marriage. He covers the spiritual side of things very well and to this end the book could be useful for pre-marriage counseling. However, I don't think it would be a good substitute for sitting down with your pastor and talking through some of the issues lightly raised in the book in more detail (like finances, conflict resolution, personal histories, etc.).

If you are planning on getting married soon, hope to be married one day, or are married and need to go back and remember how and why you got there, then this book is for you. It has a great discussion guide in the back and can work as a books study for young singles and/ or engages couples.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

In my experience, the Christian world seemingly would like to ignore the topic of sex. There is much emphasis placed on "saving yourself for marriage", but there doesn't really seem to be a lot of discussion past the "don'ts". I feel that it is important to encourage healthy dialogue about sex.

I truly believe that having a spiritual foundation is essential to a healthy marriage, but sharing intimacy doesn't necessarily have to be outside those spiritual boundaries. This book has good advice on growing spiritually both before, during and after meeting your mate. It is important to understand that when you embark on a relationship, it can be easy to lose yourself in that other person's identity, this leads to confusion and can be problematic. The author offers valuable advice on how to have a spiritually-centered relationship while still maintaining your individuality. I liked the fact that the book was not entirely centered around one particular topic, but rather was a compilation of a variety of subjects surrounding relationships.

It was a good read and I would recommend it for individuals who are interested in having more spiritually-centered relationships.

I was given this book by Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review.

I have seen so many marriages fall apart. I believe much as to do with not being prepared to be married. It's not always fun and games. The honeymoon will wear off.

Craig Groeschel makes an important point. You must find the One before you can find your Two. Jesus must be the center of your life. God first and then spouse second. This may not make you very popular but it will attract the right person into your life. Craig is able to keep your attention by sharing his personal stories along the way.

This is a must read before getting married. Subjects include: dating, sex, forgiveness, and communication. He debunks the myth that there will be no consequences if you have sex prior to marriage. Or, you can have sex without intimacy. Satan is the Father of Lies and may convince you that's it's ok to play house before marriage. Will you necessarily fail if you do? I do not believe so. But, there is an emotional aspect that will come into play.

I highly recommend this to anyone (no matter their age) who is currently dating and seeking a spouse one day. It's easy to get caught up in emotions. I believe this book will help others to take a step back and realize that getting married is not a game. Do not believe that it's no big deal if it doesn't work out. It's a huge deal.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher (Multnomah Books) . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising